Now, there is a new journal circulating in Chorlton.
It goes under the banner of Chorlton Weaklie News, and each week or thereabouts it carries the sort of stories the traditional media will not tell you about.
So here in no particular order are, “Bodies Found in Southern Cemetery”, “Books Discovered in Chorlton Bookshop” and “Dead Shark Found in Chorlton Diving Club Pool”.
My favourite to date is “Mysterious Container Found on Doorstep”, which breaks the news that “In the early hours of the morning a man was seen lurking around doorsteps depositing glass containers with a white liquid inside”.
I am told that the public’s response to the news sheet has been very positive, with one chap writing in to complain about a story on the proposed revised route for HS2 through Chorlton and the construction of a new station to be sited in the township. Pleased as the chap was, he wanted to know why the Government hadn’t considered a station in Wythenshawe which would assist the areas regeneration.
The news project is the work of local artist and author Peter Topping, who saw the potential of a light hearted weekly or therabouts news sheet which would promote the newly revived Chorlton Arts Festival.
And so, each week, a local business sponsors the print run and is featured on the front page of the paper. In December this was Foster Cycles, which carried the headline, “Santa’s Elves Discovered in Foster’s Cycle Workshop”, complete with a picture of the staff looking Elvish in big green and red hats.
The serious side to the publication is the transmission of news about Chorlton Arts Festival and Chorlton Voice. The Arts Festival, which was revived last year and was an outstanding success.
Leaving me just to touch on the inspiration for Peter’s flight of fancy which was “Billy’s Weekly Liar".
This was a broadsheet sold in Blackpool from 1922 till the death of its creator, William Curtis in the late 1960s.
Mr. Curtis was the owner of Billy’s Joke Shop in Preston, where Peter grew up.
And rereading Billy’s Weekly Liar still has the power to bring a smile , which was in fact the motto of the paper …… “Smile Dammit Smile”, and it would be hard not to, with stories, like “Unconscious skeleton found on beach”, “A football scout from a Midland Club is interested in Dan Druff from Ayr” and “Brighton Prom stolen By Ladder Gang”.
Such is the magic of this publication that it has a Facebook group, and one copy of the paper has made it into the National Archive, and it is that edition that I shall leave you with, hoping you too will love the story of “Naval Disaster,
A terrific storm of rather unusual violence swept over Wigan Pier during the night.
It is feared that many Battleships that were in dry dock undergoing extensive repairs and alternations are lost ….The local fishing fleet has also suffered somewhat owing to the pier head failing at a critical time during the worse portion of the storm”.
Or “Amazing Occurrence in Birmingham, Shortly before noon yesterday, the people who were queuing up for the evening performance of the ‘The Three Mustavhoers’ at the Scratchard Empire were dispersed by the appearance of an untamed fierce Gorgonzola”.*
I could go on …… but I won’t, instead I will just commend Peter’s homage to Mr.Curtis and Billy’s Weekly Liar, with news that the next edition of Chorlton’s Weaklie News will hit the streets this weekend or thereabouts.
Location; Chorlton, and the world
Pictures; Chorlton Weaklie News, 2019, 2020, and Billy’s Weekly Liar, D/3902/2, courtesy of Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, www.cheshirearchives.uk/home
*Billy’s Weekly Liar, Vol. 0 No.5
So here in no particular order are, “Bodies Found in Southern Cemetery”, “Books Discovered in Chorlton Bookshop” and “Dead Shark Found in Chorlton Diving Club Pool”.
My favourite to date is “Mysterious Container Found on Doorstep”, which breaks the news that “In the early hours of the morning a man was seen lurking around doorsteps depositing glass containers with a white liquid inside”.
I am told that the public’s response to the news sheet has been very positive, with one chap writing in to complain about a story on the proposed revised route for HS2 through Chorlton and the construction of a new station to be sited in the township. Pleased as the chap was, he wanted to know why the Government hadn’t considered a station in Wythenshawe which would assist the areas regeneration.
The news project is the work of local artist and author Peter Topping, who saw the potential of a light hearted weekly or therabouts news sheet which would promote the newly revived Chorlton Arts Festival.
The serious side to the publication is the transmission of news about Chorlton Arts Festival and Chorlton Voice. The Arts Festival, which was revived last year and was an outstanding success.
Leaving me just to touch on the inspiration for Peter’s flight of fancy which was “Billy’s Weekly Liar".
This was a broadsheet sold in Blackpool from 1922 till the death of its creator, William Curtis in the late 1960s.
And rereading Billy’s Weekly Liar still has the power to bring a smile , which was in fact the motto of the paper …… “Smile Dammit Smile”, and it would be hard not to, with stories, like “Unconscious skeleton found on beach”, “A football scout from a Midland Club is interested in Dan Druff from Ayr” and “Brighton Prom stolen By Ladder Gang”.
Such is the magic of this publication that it has a Facebook group, and one copy of the paper has made it into the National Archive, and it is that edition that I shall leave you with, hoping you too will love the story of “Naval Disaster,
A terrific storm of rather unusual violence swept over Wigan Pier during the night.
It is feared that many Battleships that were in dry dock undergoing extensive repairs and alternations are lost ….The local fishing fleet has also suffered somewhat owing to the pier head failing at a critical time during the worse portion of the storm”.
I could go on …… but I won’t, instead I will just commend Peter’s homage to Mr.Curtis and Billy’s Weekly Liar, with news that the next edition of Chorlton’s Weaklie News will hit the streets this weekend or thereabouts.
Location; Chorlton, and the world
Pictures; Chorlton Weaklie News, 2019, 2020, and Billy’s Weekly Liar, D/3902/2, courtesy of Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, www.cheshirearchives.uk/home
*Billy’s Weekly Liar, Vol. 0 No.5
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